Propeller-shaft mounting



} A. G. SENSTIUS. PROPELLER SHAFT MOUNTING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. 1918.

Patented Sept.

, INVENTOR. v 14/7/0/l78 6. Sensf/us A TTORNEY OFFICE.

ANTOINE G. SENSTIUS, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILLYS-OVERLANDCOM- PANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, CORPORATION OF OHIO. i

PROPELLER-fiHAFT MOUNTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

T 0 all 20 ham it may concern Be it known that I, ANTOINE G. SENs'rIUs,

citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, county of Lucas, andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPropeller-Shaft Mountings, of which I declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to propeller shaft mounting, and more particularlyto a form of propeller shaft mounting designed for preventing Whippingor vibrating of the propeller shaft, when a heavy load is being carriedthereby, or when the propeller shaft is subjected toa sudden shock, suchas may be occasioned by a sudden change in the amount of the load.

()ne object of my invention is to provide a device of this character,which will prevent the whipping or vibrating of that portion of apropeller shaft which is intermediate the bearings, and which has atendency to buckle or vibrate when suddenly subjected to a heavy strainthereon.

A further object of In invention is to provide a device of this 0aracter whichis simple in construction and eflicient in operation, undervarying conditions of use.

Further objects of this invention relate to economics of manufacture anddetails of construction as will hereinafter appear from the detaileddescription to follow.

I accomplish the objects of my invention in one instance by the devicesand means described in the following specification, but it is evidentthat the same may be varied widely without departing from the scope ofthe invention, as pointed out in the appended claims.

- A structure constituting one embodiment of my invention, which may bethe preferred,

is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,

forming a part hereof, in which:

Figure I is a horizontal sectional view of a propeller shaft casing,showing my improved mounting as applied to the propeller shaft therein.

Fig. II is an'enlarged view of that portion of the structure shown inFig. I, showing the mounting as applied to the propeller shaft. Fig. IIIis a vertical sectional view of the propeller shaft casin along the lineIII-III of Figs. I and II;

Fig. IV is an enlargedhorizontal sectional view of a portion of apropellershaft casing,

showing a modified form of my propeller shaft mounting.

Fig. V is a vertical sectional view of a pro eller shaft casing takenalon-g the line V- of Fig. IV.

My invention comprises generally devices of the character set forthdesigned to be ap-' plied to a rotating shaft passing through a caslng,at a point intermediate the bearing portions thereof, for'thepurposesset forth above.

I have illustrated my device as applied to the usual propeller shaft ofan automoblle, such as usually have a relatively long portion of thepropeller shaft intermediate of the bearings thereof.

Referring to the numbered parts of the drawing, I have shown the usualtransmiss1on casing 10 and rear axle housing -11, which are connected bythe propeller shaft housing 12. The propeller shaft housing 12 comprisesa portion 13 attached to the-rear axle housing in any suitable manner,to which is securely attached the main 'propeller shaft casing 14, whichis in turn connected by a slip joint 15 to that portion 16 of theuniyersal joint casing which extends rearwardly from the transmissioncasing. Extending from the transmission easing into the universal jointhousing 17 is a main transmission shaft 18, connected by means of auniversaljoint 19 and aslip joint 20 to the usual propeller shaft 21.The propeller shaft 21 is mounted for rotation at 'a point near itsforward end in a bearing member 21 carried by the main portion 14 of thepropeller casing. The propeller shaft 21 carries a bevel driving pinion22 securely attached thereto at a point near the rear end of thepropeller shaft, which bevel driving pinion meshes with a bevel drivingring 24, to drive the rear axle sections (not shown) in the usualmanner. -At a point near its rear extremity the propeller shaft 21 ismounted in a bearing 25 supported by the section 13 of the housing.Intermediate the bearings 21 and 25 is a ring 26, which is firmlyattached to the casing in any suitable manner, and is provided at oneend with an inturned flange 27. The inner circumferential face of thisflange portion lies in proximity to the outer circumferential surface ofthe propeller shaft, the diameter of the circular opening formed by theflange being a little larger than the diameter of the propeller shaft,so that normally the propeller shaft runs freely between the twobearings. Any whipping or vibrating of the propeller shaft between thebearings, such as might be occasioned by a heavy load upon the propellershaft, or by a sudden increase in load, will be prevented by the flangedcollar positioned as shown intermediate of the two bearings.

A modified form of my invention is shown in Figs. IV and V, wherein aplurality of set screws 28 are fitted into interiorally threadedopenings 29 in the propeller shaft casing 14 at diametrically opposedpoints thereof, and held in adjusted position by clamping nuts 30. Theset screws 28 are provided with angular end portions 81 for securing theproper adjustment of the set screwsrelative to the propeller shaft. Theset screws 28 may be positioned in a common vertical plane in the casingand their inner ends, when properly adjusted, may be separated from thepropeller shaft by slight clearance space, which permits the propellershaft to normally run freely in the bearings without touching th ends ofthe set screws. When, however, a heavy load is suddenly placed upon thepropeller shaft, such as would cause a whipping or vibrating of thepropeller shaft, such vibration is overcome by the shaft striking theend of the set screws. Thus it will be seen that I have provided asimple and economical means, which is capable of being readilypositioned in the casing, for overcoming any excessive vibration of thepropeller shaft in a direction transverse thereof, such as is liable tooccur when the shaft is suddenly subjected to a considerable strain, asby a sudden increase in the power exerted upon the rear axle sections.It is obvious that such vibrations, when set up in th propeller shaft,tend to place an undue strain thereon if not counteracted, and that bythe means shown and described the amplitude of these vibrations will bediminished so as to practically eliminate the same. While it is old toinsert a plurality of bearings for supporting the propeller shaft atintervals along its length, my invention obviates the necessity of usingan intermediate bearing where a relatively long propeller shaft isemployed, by substituting means which normally provides a slightclearance space around the propeller shaft, while extending sufficientlyclose to the shaft to dampe any vibration which may be set up therein.

While I have shown and. described in considerable detail a specificembodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this showing anddescription is illustrated only for the purops of rendering my inventionmore clear, and that I do not regard the invention as limited to thedetails of construction illustrated or described, nor to any of them,except in so far as I have included such limitations within the terms ofthe following claims, i which it is my intention to claim all novelty inmy invention broadly, as well as s ecifically.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: j

1. In a device of the classdescribed, in combination, a propeller shaft,bearings near the ends thereof, and means su ported inde pendently ofthe shaft'intermec iate the bearings for preventing whipping of thepropeller shaft. 4

2. In a device of the class described, in combination, a propellershaft, bearings therefor, and means supported independently of the shaftintermediate the bearings providing a slight clearance space for thepropeller shaft for preventing whipping of the same.

3. In a device of the class described, in combination, a propellershaft, bearings therefor, and means supported independently of the shaftintermediate the bearings for preventing vibration of the propellershaft. J

4. In a device of the class described, in combination, a, propellershaft, bearings therefor, and means supported independently of the shaftfor preventing excessive vibration of that portion of the propellershaft positioned between the bearings.

5. In a device of the class described, in combination, a propellershaft, a dasing therefor, propeller shaft bearings supported by thecasing, and means carried by the casing for preventing undue vibrationof the propeller shaft.

6. In a device of the class described, in combination, a propellershaft, a casing therefor, propeller shaft bearings supported by thecasing, and a plurality of means carried by the casing for preventingvibration of the propeller shaft.

7. In a device of the class described, in combination, a propellershaft, a' casing therefor, propeller shaft bearings, and a plurality ofset screws carried b the casing intermediate the said bearings orpreventing vibration of the propeller shaft.

8. In a device of the class described, in combination, a propellershaft, a casing therefor, propeller shaft bearings, the casing andbearings being rigidly supported with respect to each other, and meanscarried by the casing intermediate the bearings and normally free of theshaft for preventing vibration of the shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature.

' ANTOINE e. SENSTIUS.

